Journal of a Voyage across the Atlantic With Notes on Canada & the United States, and Return to Great Britain in 1844 — Edition Insights

s the house of the commandant of the yard--a captain in the navy. They make anchors, blocks, and tackle of all sorts for ships' use. There are several hundred men usually employed at the yard. Several first-rate vessels have been built here. They told us that they sunk several of their vessels here when they heard of their defeat at Bladensburg; but I guess it was the English that sunk them. There are many more sights, but our time would not allow us to tarry.

I had much wished to have gone down to Charlestown, and then into the far West; but the contemplation of slavery, the pain of living in the constant intercourse with slave servants, and the awfully hot weather, which might have caused me to take the fever--added to all, my great anxiety to receive letters from England--particularly from my wife, from whom I had now been absent five weeks without hearing--the pleasures of memory having almost kindled into the charming reminiscences of my first love--decided me to take my course North again; and I must acknowledge I left Washington with regret, and the contemplation that, ere many years roll over, it will be a magnificent city. I may here remark there is a telegraph, or galvanic power, fixed between the Capitol and Baltimore, that takes the news forty miles in a second. This is a good line of single rails, which they all are. At Baltimore we took steam up the Pennsylvanian states to Frenchtown--about sixty miles; and thence rail twenty miles to Newcastle; thence steam up the Delaware to Philadelphia; thence rail to Amboy, through Burlington, Bordingtown, and Hidestown. Amboy is only five miles from the Atlantic, where we came in from England. We came up Staten Island Sound, with New Jersey on the left, and passed Elizabeth Port and Payrosville, and saw Newark and the Pacific river about eight miles in the distance: then passed the Narrows, Governor's Island, Ellis and Gibbet Islands, and arrived at the Battery at seven, after travelling 400 miles in twenty-seven hours. Received my letters at the Astor, and was pleased with their news: retired to rest very tired, after my companion had read two chapters in the Bible to me, which has been our custom since we came together.

I have now seen enough of the independent states of America to convince me that Henry Clay is the proper man for President. The whole tenor of his life has been for his country's good. He feels the moral degradation the states of Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, and Mississippi have brought upon his country by repudiation; and he would, if returned, advocate appropriating the waste lands to paying their debts. He would also _veto_ annexing Texas and the Oregon territory, and by such means keep the southern and northern states from collision. My humble opinion is, if the southern states get hold of Texas, as their interests are diametrically opposed to the interests of the North, all they require is a little more strength to set about a separation.

_Saturday_ morning.--Rose dissatisfied with the Astor, they having placed us four stories high to sleep. Called upon several friends in the course of the day. Nothing particular in view. In the evening visited the Chatham Theatre, a regular Yankee place, to see the original Mr. Rice perform a burlesque _Othello_!! and the farce _Here's a Go_! He acted to admiration, and sang lots of Nigger songs, amongst which his masterpiece, "Jump Jim Crow," was encored three times. He placed us in a private box, and we spent half an hour with him. A more gentlemanly man I never met. He is retiring upon a fortune made of £10,000. Home and to bed at eleven.

_Sunday_ morning.--Mr. Pearce called for me to go and spend the day at Staten Island, at the Pavilion, where, he was stopping. We took a long drive past the Quarantine, where the doctor boarded the _Western_. Saw the Hospitals, Fort George, the Telegraph, and the very handsome buildings of Mr. Goodue and Mr. Brown, and a magnificent marble building called "The Sailor's Snug Home:" an Englishman left the money to build it. And I was then introduced to the Flandens, Mr. Pearce's family, and Mr. De la Forest, the French consul, a relative. Dined, and returned to the Astor. Paid my bill, and ready to start up the North River for Albany in the morning.

VISIT TO THE CANADAS; NIAGARA; RETURN TO NEW YORK & BOSTON; AND VOYAGE HOME.